Acetic Acid → 1-(4-Methylphenyl)-2-nitroethanol

Participants

Reaction Steps

A stirred solution of 4-methylbenzaldehyde (325 mg, 319 μL, 2.71 mmol) and nitromethane (531 μL, 9.89 mmol) in absolute EtOH (20 mL) at 0° C. was treated with 10% aq. NaOH (m/v) (1.14 mL, 2.84 mmol), stirred for 1 h and treated with 2% aq. acetic acid (m/v) (8.54 mL, 2.84 mmol). The reaction was stirred for 1 h at room temperature then partitioned between water (50 mL) and EtOAc (50 mL). The aqueous layer was extracted with EtOAc (2×50 mL) and the combined organic extracts were washed with saturated NaHCO3 (50 mL) and brine (50 mL), dried (Na2SO4) and concentrated in vacuo to afford 1-(4-methylphenyl)-2-nitroethanol as a colorless oil. 1H NMR (CDCl3, 500 MHz) δ 7.28 (d, J=8.1 Hz, 2H), 7.21 (d, J=8.1 Hz, 2H), 5.42 (dt, J=9.6, 3.3 Hz, 1H), 4.60 (dd, J=13.3, 9.7 Hz, 1H), 4.49 (dd, J=13.3, 3.1 Hz, 1H), 2.79 (d, J=3.7, 1H), 2.36 (s, 3H).

Provenance & Evidence